The present invention relates to an axle suspension assembly for suspending or supporting an axle of a vehicle to a chassis thereof. The present invention further relates to a radius arm or suspension arm employed as part of such assembly.
More particularly, the present invention relates to such an assembly including such radius arm and a rigid axle body to extend transversely of the vehicle. The radius arm has a front end to be articulated to the chassis of the vehicle. The radius arm supports an ends of the axle body, and two such radius arms support opposite ends of such axle body, i.e. on opposite sides of a longitudinal center plane of the vehicle. The radius arm is welded to the axle body at a position of the radius arm spaced from the front, articulated end thereof.
An axle suspension assembly of the above general type is disclosed in EP-A-0 600 198. Such known assembly includes a tubular axle body having a uniform wall thickness that is guided through circular openings of a radius arm, such that the axle body is completely surrounded by the radius arm. A sleeve can be positioned on the tubular axle body having the uniform wall thickness, in the region thereof at which the axle body extends through the opening of the radius arm. Such sleeve is in the form of two half-shells that are connected with the axle body by welding. Such axle suspension assembly requires a considerable number of assembly operations and thus is costly. Thus, not only must the axle body be inserted through closed openings of the radius arm, but also reinforcement sleeves must be welded to the axle body, generally requiring four completely circumferential encircling welds.